Rehan Habib: World Day Against Child Labour 2020; Voices of DCI Youth Leaders

For me, the lack of child rights in impoverished countries is one of the most important issues that requires attention. The opportunity to grow up without the fear of being abused or forced into labor at an early age is something that I believe many people take for granted. As someone who grew up in America, I never have had to deal with this fear that many children in other countries have. It seems unfair to me that there are children who are not receiving the same chance that I did simply because they are born somewhere else. No matter where a child is born, they should be given the same chance as other children to grow up, attend school, and live a healthy life. Child labor and abuse create a cycle of poverty that can keep generations of people from improving their lives. When children are forced to work at a young age, they lose time that could be spent in school, getting educated. Without education, these children struggle economically when they eventually grow into adults. In our modern world, it should not be possible that any child has to live through hardships like this. I urge other people like me who were able to live without the fear of childhood labor to join DCI as a volunteer.

You can make a difference in helping to ensure that all children can have a proper childhood, rather than living a life working long hours in an abusive, inhumane environment.

Rehan Habib
Youth Leader, Distressed Children & Infants International (DCI)